At university, we were taught that a true home has a soul. A concept, a way of thinking, a message. It expresses the ideas, emotions and views of the people who live there. A true home is a symbol. A place of safety. A refuge. A statement of who we are.
At university, we were taught that a true home has a soul. A concept, a way of thinking, a message. It expresses the ideas, emotions and views of the people who live there. A true home is a symbol. A place of safety. A refuge. A statement of who we are.
When I first came across Kincső’s work, I found myself thinking: how can an object be so many things at once? At once local and worldly. Rustic and modern. Unique and universal. At once a piece of handcrafted value and the result of precise, high-quality workmanship. The atmosphere these lamps radiate is truly special — even when the viewer can admire them only through photographs. The contrast between matte and glossy surfaces, the meeting of dark and light shades, the refinement, the elegance, the respect for the traditions of our ancestors combined with the way of thinking of the modern person today… all these things reveal that something truly special happens behind the doors of the Explore workshop every day.
For a long time, lighting a room was considered a secondary aspect of interior design. Not even secondary… more like one of those things that simply had to be done. The room was finished, the flooring was installed, the furniture was in place, but somehow that darn lampshade never seemed to find its way onto the cable hanging from the centre of the ceiling. And so the family would gather themselves together and set off in search of a solution. They would walk and walk, all the way to the nearest home improvement or lighting store, hoping to find something suitable. They would find something, check the price, and think: “That will do.” They would take it home, install it, and apart from the fact that it certainly did a good job of keeping the darkness at bay in the evening, they would hardly ever look at it again, let alone admire their latest purchase. Today, things are different. The lighting of a home needs to be considered from the very first stage of the design process. Its cost should be included in the initial budget. The design and appearance of lighting fixtures should be an integral part of the character of an interior. These objects have so much more potential than simply serving a functional purpose. If our needs and resources allow it, they can become the jewellery, focal points and integral elements of our homes. And this is precisely why Explore lamps are so wonderful. I believe that, thanks to their general characteristics and customisability, these designer pieces can be beautiful additions to almost any interior. The interplay of light created by the perforated surfaces brings playfulness, warmth and life to cold winter evenings. The pieces designed for children can fill any nursery with joy. The elegant, metallic forms can become perfect decorative elements in modern dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, as well as private and public spaces. I can just as easily imagine them hanging in houses with exposed beams and solid wooden furniture as in floor-to-ceiling-window apartments with minimalist interiors — all illuminated by Explore lamps. And of course, they don’t only hang. They also stand firmly on the floor, bedside tables and desks, doing exactly what they are meant to do: bringing light into our homes — both literally and figuratively.
That is the beauty of a handcrafted product: when we purchase one, we receive much more than just an object. It comes with a story, a moment, an experience, and the personality of both the maker and the person who commissioned it. A cup of tea, a conversation, a little soul, a knowing wink. You won’t find these things in stock at any IKEA, yet somehow I feel that those who step into Kincső’s workshop will never be lacking any of them.
Thank you for being there, Explore workshop, and for creating. A true little wonder!
Rebeka Sándor,
interior designer
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